Dawn of Def Jam: Rick Rubin Returns to His NYU Dorm Room

Def Jam was started 30 years ago in Rick Rubin's NYU dorm room. Watch him go back to the place where it all began for the very first time.
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[@phrenzy1]

anyone else wish this was feature length?

[@voteZDLR]

+phrenzy1 Yeah :-/ I do think they have full length documentaries about him though.

[@turnerj3699]

+voteZDLR Link, please.

[@voteZDLR]

Jamal Turner Ooooh, well, I just said I *think* there are some. I did google it briefly though just by typing "Rick Rubin" in the search box. They got this one video BBC did about him that's nearly an hour, plus several other things as well. I would look specifically for a DEF JAM documentary though. You're more likely to find one about it and the people who started it than the people by themselves. So yeah, try searching for both of those things :D

[@turnerj3699]

voteZDLR *salute*

[@voteZDLR]

Jamal Turner o7 my friend

[@perks8334]

This man has produced so many bands/artists how can I not find a documentary on him???

[@sonofthesun91]

This one is really good kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJLFqHqfibyFjNE

[@javierracca1500]

Shangri-la

[@Lastcookie]

Studying is to be done in the library

[@davidwhiteboy2053]

1:08 "I'll say I don't normally look back very much." This is one of the reasons Rick is always so calm, collected and at ease with himself. Our minds have a maddening tendency to get caught up in the past (and future) and all that does is destroy the peace of the present moment. Only look at the past or future insofar as they are pragmatic and necessary. Ruminating on them does nothing but bring anguish and disappointment. Rick Rubin lives in the present moment, and he exudes tranquility and peace. We, too, can achieve that by also living in the present moment.

[@DavidBoura]

+David White so true, thank you!

[@nadashame2108]

I need to learn how to do this

[@davidwhiteboy2053]

Corban Romolor Mindfulness meditation. It helps you become aware of the present moment.

[@HarrowerJX]

+David White peace brother :) wise words !

[@nikunashi3494]

+David White So true, just been reading krishnamurti, he explains this precise thing perfectly.

[@ethan_ryan]

How has this not been made into a movie yet?

[@williamcarroll6774]

It has, Krush Groove

[@ezlrockwell82]

+William Carroll +1 :D Lol! So true! :)

[@ezlrockwell82]

+William Carroll +1 :D Lol! So true! :)

[@videobrownsville]

DUH..

[@LITMOVIESCENES]

idiot

[@nedisahonkey]

*in Arnold Schwarzenegger voice* studying is to be done in the library.

[@fiveyearold]

He was definitely high in that situation. Sounds like weed

[@maxmatson1578]

That's exactly what I was thinking!?😅

[@U2BROTHR]

This was the best time to be alive. Def Jam changed my life.... Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J... honestly...my teenage years right here cause of this man...

[@TaylorRamsYung]

I wish this was longer.

[@Tadamviech]

That's what she said.

[@Tadamviech]

Twice.

[@LITMOVIESCENES]

just watch krush groove if u need more

[@ArbitraryLifestyle]

Rubin and Dubin as roommates? That's neat...

[@CanaryWorfRuns]

Rick Rubin.... producer of most of my favourite rock albums ever, started Def Jam with RS? How did I get to 35 without knowing this?

[@hammerheadcorvette4]

WHAT !

[@imperialmedia3656]

Rick is just an amazing person as it is

[@MalcolmDesigns]

I was in his NYU dorm room in June 1985. My best friends friend Joe Cena was roommates with Rick. There were records stacked from floor to ceiling in the room and it was condemned by the city of New York. Great memories of that day.

[@superduperboyx]

cool! Did you meet Russell and Rick?

[@MalcolmDesigns]

No, Rick was at a set filming a hip hop movie so I didnt get to meet him.

[@pooliansshots6731]

Must have been 'Krush Groove'

[@lonestarfriend]

Rick is such a well-spoken and handsome man.

[@brasstacksboxing409]

This dude is a legend. Not many that can even attempt to compete

[@liluhaas]

He looks old in a lot of ways but his eyes are so clear and his face is young looking somehow. He never lost his passion for life.

[@mbenzsl2000]

Rubin, Simmons, LLcool J, Beastie boys and RUN DMC....The core of Def Jam that started it all...

[@MAL1C3]

mbenzsl2000 FKN SLAYER 🤘🤘🤘

[@jeffrourke2322]

Unreal line up.

[@juanpena5797]

No the core is tla rock jazzy jay

[@buddhafyre]

Run DMC was on Profile records...

[@IAMASAVAGECREATOR-]

@@buddhafyre /Def Jam

[@SuperStrik9]

From Slayer to The Beastie Boys and everything inbetween. That's what I love about Rick.

[@DeadFlowers69]

Rich Rubin is a shaman of hip hop and rock. The stories he can tell. From DMC, to Cash, to Petty, to the Beastie Boys. 🙌

[@Caffeine_Club]

If you look at his output in the mid to late 80s... he not only blew up hip hop, but pushed metal as well. LL, Run DMC, The Cult, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Slayer, Danzig... you look at his production credits over the years and it's unbelievable what albums he's produced. Genius. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin_production_discography

[@ericsilberstein667]

A lot of alternative. The Cult, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Danzig, Gorillaz, etc.

[@dannygriner4419]

Rick is legendary and they need to make a movie now while he is alive. ...he knows rap,rock and metal

[@MrStephen182]

Also Country and pop music.

[@topnug7626]

And loudness

[@KiambuX]

He deserves all the reverence. Big fan and dude signed and produced a little Go-Go band called JunkYard from South East D.C. Their first single was "Sardines" and it changed my life!

[@elijahgibran7569]

Rick stayed at the resort I worked at and I got to check him out. One of the coolest, most generous people I've met.

[@Anfubvinch]

Russell Simmons and his brother are fucking legends.

[@chrisjames5254]

Rick is the coolest guy ever .

[@ganjaman407]

Rick Rubin in '85 looked like my old weed dealer

[@benashworth7653]

he WAS your weed dealer

[@jeffjones2586]

ben ashworth True dat. How you think he amassed all that money. lol

[@timothywilliamson3152]

Rick Ruben right now looks like my dealer...

[@yomommastupid]

Rick Rubin in 2019 looks like my drug dealer

[@waskozoids]

hahaha, good one.

[@liwtumrn4]

The girl who's room that is probably had no clue who rick rubin is

[@turnerj3699]

+nyGIANTS I thought about that. I said to myself "whoever gets this room is going to lose their shit when they step in and see that!" The contrast to that would be some person thinking "ugh! they keep writing on the walls." and triple coat paints over it lol

[@apan9711]

lol

[@TheWitchOvAgnesi]

Would have been fun to include her in this.

[@secoulte]

@@turnerj3699 Funny thing is he used a Crayola marker. Those things are water based and completely washable. It wouldn't stay on the wall for long. Cop Out!

[@secoulte]

Yep I am, or the producers are. Signature is just for show, because NYU would probably freak out if he used a permanent one. Homophobic gay slurs. Cool.

[@Kolegate]

I like how simple history was made back then. Rick makes beats in his dorm room, then links up with Rush Simmons to form Def Jam. And while chillin with Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys, they happen to discover LL Cool J on a demo sent to Rick's dorm room. F'n awesome. On a side note, if I was the girl who owned that blanket, I'd probably never wash it and be like "Rick Rubin sat on this yall!!!!"

[@jimlahey5798]

I need about a 5 hour documentary of this

[@MAL1C3]

Slayer Reign In Blood is where I discovered Rick Rubin I still say it’s the greatest thing he has ever been a part of even after 32 years 🤘

[@grovermarchand3282]

Yeah that's the shit. But then you got stuff like Petty's Wildflowers , also amazing and completely different.

[@LITMOVIESCENES]

check the 6 johnny cash albums he did..masterpieces

[@mrs.featherbottom5901]

He did Reign in blood?? What a legend

[@spacealienjesus709]

Rick, You have worked with so many legends that I jam everyday Thank you...

[@got0die]

thank you, Rick Rubin, for everything you've done for HipHop

[@eliwallace3825]

frank grimes You're a fucking tool.

[@georgehornsby6882]

@@eliwallace3825 loudness war

[@ericsilberstein667]

He came from Hardcore Punk. It’s how Def Jam started. He’s the one who put Punk, Metal, and Rap together and created several subgenres of Alternative. Rap Rock, Rap Metal, Alternative Hip Hop, NuMetal, etc. He worked with many Alt bands, like Beastie Boys, The Cult, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc. He and Def Jam were not just about Hip Hop. So much more.

[@MrKarma49]

I remember an old promo with the Beastie Boys and MTV. Rick Ruben made the statement,"you call it MTV, in a week we're gonna call it Beastie TV'. :)

[@dnice4335]

its about the love of the music................ the difference today is it they do it for $$$$$$$$$$ totally different outcome!! you hear the results of this..........rap/hiphop will be stuck in these moments forever!! GOD BLESS DEF JAM

[@mrflynn01]

Def Jam! What can I say? Rick & Russell made some amazing bone chill in' records together!

[@twentyfoursevensmoke]

you telling me there was a dorm room with two tennants called Rubin and Dubin?

[@funkediscofreak]

Hip Hop has changed to world. Beautiful to see it's birth and roots!! This should be in high school history books.

[@brandonbanks32278]

I agree....it should....but....that'll never happen....why....it's African American Culture. The only way to teach...is to buy the music and raise your children on it... 1st Course Hip Hop music years 85 thru 89. ( the beginning ) 2nd Course Hip Hop Music years 90 thru 94. ( the Struggle ) 3rd Course Hip Hop Music years 95 through 99 ( the Money ) 4th Course Hip Hop Music years Y2K through 2K08 ( The South ) Final Course Hip Hop Music years 2K09 - Now (The Evolution/ And Lost Language)

[@julianerikson4191]

@Cult Mechanicus Go back to your rally, KKKlown.

[@DDTSB2525]

This dude keeps popping up - he is such a talent!!!

[@carogranner1706]

i am so incredibly inspired by him and this story, what he and his peers and colleagues accomplished by using their space in more and more creative ways and following what they loved is so incredible

[@anishmukhoti7188]

This guy is sick.....much love.

[@InvestBetter.]

What's beautiful about Rick and this story was this wasn't about making money or taking over the rap culture to profit off it. He loved it so much, he tried to share what he felt with the world, and he wanted the artists to sound as good as he knew they were. He just wanted to keep it 💯. He didn't want R&B music with rap bridges. He wanted to turn hip-hop into what it is today. And he succeeded

[@sonnyd510]

Ran this back for the entire company earlier today to start our year at Def Jam. LEGENDARY.

[@voteZDLR]

I love it when important people have these signatures that look nothing like their actual name. Not even by cursive standards. Like they can't be bothered making actual letters, just something that the most esoteric Rick Rubin fan might recognize. That, or his pen pals. @8:59

[@turnerj3699]

+voteZDLR Right lol i was like "how the hell does that spell Rick?? That's not even an R."

[@voteZDLR]

Jamal Turner It looks like a balloon animal or something LOL

[@mrbee145]

I also have a bizarre squiggle fir my name. It’s the general disregard for authority, and me pointing out it really doesn’t matter what I squiggle. Some times I sign swear words. Or president names

[@AntisocialExtrovert90]

The KZbin algorithm been killin it lately!

[@gechenique626]

lol

[@randyscott3386]

It's amazing what can happen when you follow your passion and put profits behind your love of what you're doing .

[@jessegarcia8404]

I love the the fact I was coming up in an around that time ..my life was perfect timing when hip hop started spinning its wheels...🤘🤘🤘❤❤💪💪

[@alianshampoprisioners7056]

The best hiphop years,i love the 80`feeling...the dj knowledge,the breakdancers,the street writers,the rapper...original no copy.

[@benderrodriguez7303]

Yeah, take footage of people that helped changed music forever and edit it down to less than ten minutes. BRAVO! I swear this shoulda been a good half hour at the least, foreal foreal

[@wiredwebmaster]

Whoa! this is fantastic. Thanks for documenting Ricks journey back to NYU.

[@jameshoward3454]

So much history and good music, started in a dorm room...wow

[@Eisenbison]

Good music from this guy? He fucking sucks at mastering and has ruined a ton of great albums single-handedly. This guy is garbage.

[@yourfamilydocter]

this needs to be like 19 times longer

[@vmwindustries]

One of the best videos on KZbin! Give us more! Tell more people about the channel!

[@brooklynbeastmode]

love what you guys are doing keep up the hard work

[@hrmsmk]

I still have "It's Yours" with the address on it.

[@72vince27]

That is dope as hell bro.

[@IDONTLIKETHATSHIT]

SMK Collectors Item.

[@verdaderoentertainment514]

SMK let us know if you want your copy autographed

[@dschapin]

@@verdaderoentertainment514 who wouldn't

[@MyRapNameIsAlex]

those records bring back a lot of memories.

[@Timmyfromphilly1994]

Rick looks like a New York Hobo who wandered into a studio and started one of the worlds best record labels.

[@MrStephen182]

There are lots people who have had huge impacts on certain genres of music look like they don't belong. Never ever judge anyone on how they look because people will often surprise you.

[@junkie47]

You can see slayer at 5:38

[@johnnyscifi]

I remember stumbling upon this many years ago!!!

[@adamblister6005]

So rick rubin's roommate's last name was DUBIN? LOL! Rubin and Dubin!

[@Jacobwilliam79]

He's so cool. And to go from all the hip hop to sLaYeR was just rad.

[@justusbraz]

His roots were in punk rock.

[@sbooger66]

Did work in the late 90s early 2000s with Rick and Russel. Very humble. Miss that .

[@lamarvinsteele2769]

It changed my life

[@JL-Breaks]

That T La Rock Album record knocks every single time. Gives me chills.

[@illdaeagle]

This is so inspiring!

[@ashfaq1999]

Great video of one of the most important hip hop producers rick ruben & pioneering hip hop record label the dope Def Jam records.

[@ArthurSperotto]

Serious goosebumps going on...

[@thuaners]

Really cool to watch! Thanks!

[@djsarumawashi]

WICKED!!! Greetings from Cabo Verde Islands. Cheers

[@liquidpersuasion]

and then the person was like, "What the fuck are you guys doing in my room???"

[@notcommunistcrapshoot3098]

what a legend

[@TuckerPearce]

This was sick, so wish it was longer...

[@michaelfoster3441]

One of the greatest hip producers of all time .

[@BigPoppa23]

Great video! ✌️

[@RecordingSuite]

Fantastic Video...!

[@christopherautry4031]

we owe them so much the true essence of hip hop

[@blackr0se]

8:30 - this is the geatest line. The most honest line. "nothing was intentional"

[@johnkraemer5505]

Very cool story!

[@truthlivingetc88]

look I have been sceptical about Rolling Stone magazine at times but this was the best

[@eliasespitia4834]

Met this legend in Kauai two years ago. I said good morning. He nodded. I said thank you for the culture and history. He nodded. He grinned. Then he said, "cool shirt" and walked away. Some dude then started yelling, "YOURE A LEGEND MAN. YOURE A GOD DAMN LEGEND MAN!!!" walked up to me and said, "you were talking to him. You fucking talked to rick rubin man!!!!" I didnt say a word. I wore that shirt for three months straight. It disintegrated. Rick you are a legend and legends never die.

[@nuffflavor]

Yes man ! The beginning ! HIP HOP ! The love of music !

[@FaderzRecords]

What a story! legends..

[@revolutionday1]

Love that he Sharpie'd the wall, proper.

[@guitarsword1]

Incredible.

[@noneofyourbusiness1114]

Rick rubin is so inspiring.

[@jambinni]

OMG i just got goose bumps.......

[@JonRawlinson]

what a vibrant wonderful hip hop history lesson.

[@edwu8253]

Rick is a legend

[@NoNo-ks4gg]

Wow! I was in college at the same time, but I was trying to do it the traditional route --- as a college DJ first! But these guys just flipped the script! And NEVER did I know that a Beastie Boy discovered LL Cool J! Wow again !!!

[@BrokenNoseMedia]

That’s cool, didn’t realise the room was so small!

[@deadlydoodlestx]

INCREDIBLE

[@MichaelCobbs]

Amazing vid. Classic.

[@joannebeechey4202]

What a Legacy and Historical Legendxxxxxx

[@musicsimply9197]

Thank you

[@gabisermoneta2198]

love this guy

[@misoguapo2946]

JESUS! I almost cried watching this

[@johnricciojr.5324]

Excellent 💯

[@tlarocksdaoriginodjlouielo9004]

I was there with you Rick. You and I worked on T La Rocks "It's Yours" on your Roland 808. We sat side by side Rick. You even played the rock guitar on that beat you and I worked on. I still have the recording and remember every piece of equipment in that room. the last time I was there, we worked on it's your's and it was so bangin with the input you and I placed on that song. Last time you and I saw each other was at the ROXY disco in NY. I remember everything. It was a blast working with you man.

[@LITMOVIESCENES]

Dude thats fucking legendary....

[@sirc625]

"They can't disable the power of my label /Def Jam, tells you who I am/The enemy's public-they really give a damn" - Public Enemy

[@abraxas6326]

It's crazy I wonder how many artists we would have never heard of if this man never created Def Jam

[@gregorychampion4843]

That room is a certified landmark!! No one should live there! Lol. Recreate it how it looked back then and leave it alone.

[@anycolouryoulike1275]

Rick Rubin is chill as fuck